Two days after a bloody conflict between Boston Celtics fans and New York Rangers fans, NBA and NHL officials announced revised plans to police such hooligan activities at events.
The rivalry between Celtics fans and Rangers fans goes back for many decades and has ties to the rivalry between Celtic FC and Rangers FC in Glasgow, Scotland. Yet, while the Scottish rivalry is deeply rooted in sectarian violence, the American version is less defined.
Most Celtics fans reject Ranger’s fans as “ice humping wankers†and deem their team’s history as “a meager 4 championships.†While Rangers fans mock the Celtic’s short shorts and “sissy players that cry after every little bump.â€
Recent rhetoric between the supporter groups led to a raucous and bloody fight at a New York City bar during the weekend of the NBA draft. A group of Celtics supports entered the bar to discover some Rangers supports openly mocking the Celtics’ first round pick and trade deal with Portland and Minnesota. The ensuing fight required twenty police officers to break it up and sent six fans to the hospital with major injuries.
“Events are safe,†declared an NBA official at the press conference, “but, Celtics and Rangers fans continue to provoke each other leading to unnecessary violence. It’s a shame these two groups of fans can’t enjoy the games without resorting to hooliganism. As long as they fight, we’ll be there with our security teams to prevent it.â€
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